Bambusaspis delicata

Bambusaspis delicata (Green) (Fig. 71)

Planchonia delicata Maskell 1895, 62. Nomen nudum.

Planchonia delicata Green 1896b, 5. Type data: Sri Lanka, Punduloya, on Arundinaria sp. Syntypes, female. Type depository: BMNH.

Asterolecanium delicatum (Green); Cockerell 1896c, 328. Change of combination.

Bambusaspis delicatum (Green); Cockerell 1902b, 114. Change of combination.

Material examined. Sri Lanka, Punduloya, ex Arundinaria sp. (Poaceae), no date, E.E. Green (BMNH: BM1940: 180): 1/2ad ♂♂ (fair, each with one antenna; wings mainly crumpled; both specimens poorly cleared in places).

Mounted material: small, total body length 1.11–1.13 mm; robust; antennae about half total body length, with some very long setae on 5 segments; body with very few setae, fleshy setae (fs) on antennae difficult to differentiate from hair-like setae (hs); length of shorter setae on antennae more than width of antennal segments. Wings about 3/4 total body length and about 1/2 as wide as long.

Head: appearing oval to rather triangular in dorsal view on mounted specimens; width across genae 215 μm. Median crest (mc) very broad posterior to antennae, strongly reticulated, each reticulation without additional inner microridges, reticulations extending laterally; with two sclerites lying diagonally to the mid-line posteriorly, possibly representing a postoccipital ridge (por); without dorsal head setae (dhs). Mid-cranial ridge: absent dorsally; ventral ridge (vmcr) well developed, extending posteriorly to level with anterior margin of ventral eyes; with well-developed lateral arms (lmcr); without a reticulated border anteriorly; without ventral mid-cranial ridge setae (vmcrs). Genae (g) with rather faint polygonal reticulations; genal setae (gs) absent. Simple eyes: two pairs of round simple eyes; dorsal eyes (dse) marginally smaller than ventral eyes (vse): dorsal eyes 38–42 μm wide; ventral eyes 45–47 μm wide. Ocelli (o) absent. Ocular sclerite (ocs) sclerotised and polygonally reticulated throughout, each reticula- tion rather small, without inner microridges but some with small raised spots. Preocular ridge (procr) with ventral arm extremely short or absent; dorsal arm extending posteriorly to dorsal simple eye, around inner margin of eye and then generally fading just before fusing with post-ocular sclerite. Postocular ridge (pocr) strongly developed, extending dorsally just posterior to dorsal eyes and then posteriorly to near post-occipital ridges. Dorsal ocular setae (docs) absent. Ventral head setae (vhs): with up to 13 on each side, including about 3 pairs between ventral eyes; vhs extending laterally almost to dorsal eyes; without setae posterior to ventral eyes. Preoral ridge (pror) possibly absent or poorly developed. Cranial apophysis (ca) very elongate, extending anteriorly between ventral eyes; 75–83 μm long.

Antennae: 10-segmented and filiform; 590–650 μm long (ratio of total body length to antennal length 1:0.55); with extremely long setae (possibly antennal bristles) on some segments. Scape (scp): 26–34 μm long, 40–42 μm wide, with 1–8 fs + 0 or 1 hs. Pedicel (pdc): length 25–28 μm, width 31–37 μm; with a few concentric ridges; with 7–11 fs + 7–9 hs, in whorls around segment. Segments III–X all 15–18 μm wide: short setae each 23–25 μm long; very long setae each 83–100 μm long; lengths of segments (μm): III 56–60; IV 50; V 59–66; VI 51–58; VII 66–73; VIII 79–83 and IX 71–80; approximate number of setae per segment: III 3 or 4 short (sensilla basiconica not noted); IV 1–5 short; V 2–4 short + 1 long; VI 5 or 6 short; VII 4–8 short + 1 long; VIII 4–7 short + 2 long; IX: 3 or 4 short + 1 long (bristles, if present, undifferentiated). Segment X 117–125 μm long; not constricted apically; with 3 capitate setae (caps), 6–9 short setae, 2 long setae + 1 bristle; sensilla basiconica (sb) not noted.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) well-developed and probably not fused dorsally; with a narrow, striated, lateral pronotal sclerite (prn), without lateral pronotal (lpns) setae. Medial pronotal setae, post-tergites and post-tergital setae apparently absent. Sternum (stn 1) not sclerotised but with a few ridges extending anteriorly; trans- verse ridge weak, most strongly sclerotised laterally; median ridge strongly sclerotised and very long, extending anteriorly to between procoxae (length 90–100 μm long); without prosternal setae (stn 1 s). Anteprosternal (astn 1 s) and antemesospiracular setae (am 2 s) absent.

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc) 76–79 μm long, 132–145 μm wide; sclerotised with distinct reticulations; pres- cutal ridges (pscr) and prescutal suture (pscs) well developed. Scutum (sct): median membranous area 153–162 μm wide and 62 μm long, bounded laterally by strongly sclerotised margins; scutal setae (scts) absent; surface of membranous area strongly striated; lateral margins sclerotised and reticulated, mainly laterad to scutellum. Scutellum (scl) 166–173 μm wide, 50–58 μm long; with a large foramen; without scutellar setae (scls). Basisternum (stn 2) 211–245 μm wide, 116 μm long; with a strong median ridge (mdr); bounded anteriorly by a moderately strong marginal ridge (mr) and posteriorly by a strong precoxal ridge (pcr 2); without basisternal setae (stn 2 s); lateropleurite (lpl) broad; without an extension from marginal ridge anteriorly; furca (f) well developed, broad basally, posterior half of arms parallel but diverging anteriorly; almost extending anteriorly to marginal ridge. Mesopostnotum (pn 2) and postnotal apophysis (pna) well developed. Area bounded anteriorly by scutellum and laterally and posteriorly by mesopostnotum strongly reticulated. Mesepisternum (eps 2) not reticulated; subepisternal ridge (ser) well developed. Postalare (pa) not reticulated anteriorly; without postalare setae (pas). Mesothoracic spiracle (sp 2): peritreme 21–25 μm wide. Postmesospiracular setae (pm 2 s) absent. Tegula (teg): membranous, with 6–10 tegular setae (tegs) on each side.

Metathorax: without metatergal setae (mts). Dorsospiracular setae (dss) absent. Dorsal part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) absent; ventral part of metapleural ridge well developed; metepisternum (eps 3) probably unsclerotised, without postmetaspiracular setae (eps 3 s). Metepimeron (epm 3) sclerotised but without setae. Antemetaspiracular setae (am 3 s) absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3): width of peritreme 26–27 μm. Metasternum (stn 3) possibly slightly sclerotised. Anterior metasternal setae (amss) and posterior metasternal setae (pmss) absent.

Wings: hyaline, possibly 825–850 μm long, 425 μm wide (ratio of length to width 1:0.51; ratio of total body length to wing length 1:0.75); alar lobe (al) and alar setae (als) absent; wing venation normal. Wing sclerites apparently normal. Hamulohalteres absent.

Legs: metathoracic legs possibly marginally longest. Coxae (cx): I 80–83; II 83; III 79–87 μm long; coxa III with about 11 fs + 2 hs; long apical setae on each coxa about 35 μm long. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): I 194–203; II 190–199; III 202–216 μm long; trochanter III with about 9 fs + 2 hs; long trochanter seta undifferentiated; femur III with about 15 fs + 26 hs. Tibia (ti): I 136–145; II 125; III 132–141 μm; tibia III with a total of 33–38 setae, mainly fs and hs, a few becoming spur-like on distal third of leg; without apical spurs (tibs). Tarsi (ta): I 108–141; II 140–145; III 149–157 μm long (ratio of length of tibia III to tarsus III 1:1.12); tarsus III with about 60 setae, some spur-like; tarsal spurs undifferentiated; tarsal campaniform pore present; tarsal digitules (tdt) fine, with small apical knobs, significantly shorter than claw. Claws (c) quite long and thin, rather longer than width of tarsi, slightly curved, without a denticle, not held at right-angles to tarsus; length: III 24 μm; claw digitules (cdt) fine, with small apical knobs, slightly longer than claw.

Abdomen: segments I–VII: tergites (at) unsclerotised but distinctly reticulated medially; sternites (as) of all segments lightly sclerotised. Caudal extension (ce) of segment VII small and rounded. Dorsal setae (ads) absent. Pleural setae: dorsopleural setae (dps): II–VII each with 1 hs on each side; ventropleural setae (vps) absent. Ventral setae (avs) (totals): II–IV setae absent; VI & VII each with 1 pair of quite long hs.

Segment VIII forming anterior part of penial sheath: tergite probably lightly sclerotised; sternite quite strongly sclerotised laterally but membranous medially, with 1 pair of setae ventrally; with small caudal extensions (ce), each with 1–3 pleural setae, one significantly longer, 43–50 μm long. Glandular pouches (gp) absent.

Genital segments: segment IX and style fused; length of segment IX + style from base of sternite VIII 235–240 μm (ratio of total body length to penial sheath length 1:0.21); width at anterior end of IX 109–115 μm, width at anterior end of style 76–83 μm. Segment IX quite broad anteriorly, closely attached to abdominal segment VIII anteriorly and fused to style posteriorly; with 1 pair of ventral setae; anus present anteriorly close to segment VIII. Style narrowing quite sharply for first 1/3rd of length (anterior part) and then more gradually to a fine apex posteriorly; sclerotised; with 1 or 2 pairs of smaller setae dorsally, plus a pair of longish setae laterally; apparently without a cluster of small sensilla near apex. Basal membranous area (bma) present just anterior to basal rod; basal rod (bra) extending anteriorly almost to segment VIII, length 46 μm, not extending down aedeagus. Aedeagus (aed) long and slowly tapering, 260 μm long (ratio of aedeagus length of basal rod length 1:0.18); apex almost at tip of penial sheath.

Comment. Of the known asterolecaniid adult males, that of B. delicata is easily identified by the very long setae on the antennae and by the exceptionally long apical antennal segment.